1940 Judge For 4 Days Rutherford.pdf

S UPPOSE the ordinary, good, decent patriotic American citizen,

Judge-"for four days"

who works hard, who tries to lead a moral life, who loves his

family, who believes in God, who practices religion, who is loyal to

his country, were to hear soirie of the following sentences over the "

radio or from the disc of some revolving phonograph record:

"No one knows the Scriptures but me . . . Read my books

and then you'll know the Scriptures . . . If you understand the

Scriptures different from me, you're wrong, you're lost, you be-

long to Satan, you will be destroyed, there's no hope for you

. . . You must read my books and take my interpretation of the

By Rev. Edward Lodge Curran, Ph.D.

Scriptures . . . No one else's interpretation counts . . . For nine-

teen hundred years everybody has been wrong in interpreting

the Scriptures . . . It is wrong to say that man has a body and

a soul . . . He only has one . . . Body and soul are just two names

for one and the same thing . . . If you belong to a Church, YOU

belong to Satan . . . Satan is the head of every Church . . . If

you salute the flag of your country, you commit a sin against

God. . . Satan is the head of every country . .. No one connected

with the government of the United States is on the side of God

. . . The American government is the child of Satan just like

every other government . . . Catholics and Protestants and Jews

are all alike, the enemies of Jehovah and the children of Satan

. . . There is no difference . . . Catholics are running the Prot-

estant Church . . . All those who believe in religion are children

of Satan . . . Do not support any Church . . . Instead, give all

your support, financial and otherwise, to me . . . Buy my books

and pamphlets . . . I'll tell you what the Scriptures mean . . .

Christ was only a man . . . He failed to bring the people back

to God . . . 1'11 bring the people back to God . . . Only 144,000

people, anyhow, are ever going to heaven . . . Most people are

Published by the

INTERNAT~ONAL

lost forever . . . Only a few millions of all who ever lived will

CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY

407 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, N. Y.

be raised from the dead to inhabit the earth again . . . Christ

will come again in 1914; no, in 1918; no, in 1925; no, in 1930;

no, but what does a few years matter . . . When he comes you're

all lost unless you have read my books and taken my interpreta-

tion of the Scriptures . .. God is not interested in anybody's sal-

vation . . . Yes, He is . . . No, He isn't . . . Well, anyhow,

think of Jonah and Jonadab and Rahab and the Sheep and

the Goats and the Abomination 01 Desolation . . . The Catholic

REV. EDWARD

LODGE CURRAN,

PEI.D.

Brooklyn, New York

Church is the Abomination of Desolation . . . The Protestant

Printed in U. S. A.

333

Church is the Abomination of Desolation . .. The Jewish Church

HIMSELF

is the Abomination of Desolation . . . The League of Nations is

his experience as a Court Stenographer Rutherford applied to be

admitted as a member of the Missouri Bar. He was examined

by a comniittee of five members of the Bar at Boonville, Mis-

souri, and admitted to the Ear of the State of TvIissouri, May 5,

1892. It is significant that he received no such formal and thor-

ough and cultural training in the taw and in legal history and

practice as that which is furnished by modern law schools.

As a lawyer, Rutherford, like all other lawyers in the Stale

of Missouri, was privileged by law to sit in place of the regular

Presiding Judge of the Circuit Court whenever the latter was

absent and until the latter returned. In other words, he was

permitted to sit in place of the Judge. He did not preside over

the Circuit Court in his own name or in his own right. The

Statutes of the State of Missouri permitted the lawyers in a Cir-

cuit District to select one of their members to preside over the

Circuit Court until the regular Circuit Court Judge returned.

Abon~inationof Desolation . . . Commerce is the Abomination

of Desolation . . . Business is the Abomination of Desolatiotl,

that is, all business except the business of selling my books and

pamphlets . . . Catholics don't belong to the Catholic Church

. . . Protestal~tsdo belong to the Catholic Church . . . Annoy

people by p1;lying l)llonograph records upon their doorsteps . . .

God has insl)ired my books just like the Bible . . . Denounce

every one who is not a Witness . . . Look out, here it comes, the

Battle of Armageddon, the end of the world . . . Oh, no, that

was just a scare . . . Well, anyhow, it isn't far off . . . Buy my

books and get on the bandwagon . . . If you are a loyal Church

member, if you are a good citizen, if you are trying to lead a

decent lile, that doesn't count . . . You're lost . . . Unless you

buy my pamphlets and come over to me . . . Who said so . . .

The Bible said so . . . Where . . . Well, 1 don't exactly know,

but I said it and that's enough . . ."

BELIEVE IT OW NOT

What would be the reaction of the good ordinary American

citizen, whose ears were assailed with such tommyrot. First

of all, he would deny the possibility of ever licaring or reading

such ton~myrot. Secondly, he would say that the author of any

such staten~ents,either in books or over the radio, condemns

himself and destroys his authority by malting them.

Yet, believe it or not, such thoughts and hundreds of others,

just as unreliable, are actually presented in pamphlets and boolrs

and over the radio and on phonographs. These, and many

others, are the malicious, ignorant and unfounded statements

of the present head of a group called Jehovah's Witnesses, one

who call2 himself "Judge" Rutherford, but who, in all accuracy,

should only be called Judge-"for four days"-Rutherford.

HIS TITLE

What claim has Joseph Rutherford to the title "Judge"?

The following facts, which were drawn from the Circuit Court

Records of Cooper and Morgan Counties, Missouri, by Father

Felix, O.S.B., are Lhe only evidence that can be gathered in the

matter of Rutherford's "Judgeship."

LEGALBACKGROUND

Rutherford was a lawyer in Missouri. He graduated from

no law school. He received no law degree. He became a law-

yer by first becoming a Court Stenographer. On the basis of

JUDICIAL BACKGROUND

Rutherford performed the duties of an "Acting Judge" for

four days. On two occasions there were no cases to be tried.

On the other two occasions only minor cases arose. This is the

only way in which Rutherford ever sat upon a Bench. At most,

he was an Acting Judge for four days.

Moreover, since Rutherford denounces all civil government

as the child of Satan and as the Abomination of Desolation, he

should be consistent and forever renounce the title which he

hugs to his heart and which is bait to capture the attention of

his audiences. How can the "great Ruthcrford," who denounces

all governments as the offspring of Satan and who declares that

no one connected with the government of the United States is

on the side of God, allow people to call him by a title which as-

sociates him with a judicial branch of government. If the gov-

ernment is the child of Satan, then the branches of government,

according to Rutherford, must be likewise Satanical. Then

also, if Rutherford is logical, any title indicating the holding of

office in such Satanic governments must be Satanical. On the

strength of Rutherford's own statements concerning the Satanic

character of all civil governments, including the government of

the United States of America, we cannot imagine how he can

tolerate the title "Judge" for a single instant.

He should also warn his followers against using it. In using

it they are subjecting Rutherford, according to his own state-

ments, to a diabolical insult. Moreover, if they must use it, and

Rutherford has done nothing to stop the use of it, they should at

the Abomination of Desolation . . . Everything except me is the

least be accurate and unite with us in referring to Rutherford as

Judge-"for four daysu-Rutherford. This will be in accord

with facts. This will stop anyone from presuming that Ruther-

ford ever performed judicial duties for a long period of time.

Henceforth, we shall refer to the subject of this analysis as

Judge-"for four daysv-Rutherford.

According to the articles which appeared in the July 15th,

16th and 17th issues of the New York Post, some 42,000 "pub-

lishers" or "pioneers" of Judge-"for four daysw-Rutherford

are paid to sell his pamphlets and books and magazines through-

out the country. The radio station of the "Witnesses" is owned

by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Seventeen books

have been written by Judge-"for four days9'-Rutherford.

Twenty-five cents apiece is the price required for the privilege

of wading through the chaotic thought processes and the garbled

scriptural interpretations contained in these books. According to the

Ncw York Post, 1,008,127 copies of the volume entitled "Salvation"

were printed and sold in three months. According to the "Yearbook

of Jehovah's Witnesses", some 309,484,991 books and booklets have

been distributed throughout the world since 1920.

PATRIOTIC (?) BACKGROUND

In this analysis of the message which Judge-"for four days"

-Rutherford shouts at his Jehovah's Witnesses, we are not in-

terested in the private life of the "Judge." In fact, up to the

time when he joined the followers of the late Charles T. Russell,

whom he succeeded, his private life holds no interest for anyone.

He was born in Missouri on November 8, 1869. He became a

lawyer in the manner already mentioned.

For four days he was selected by his fellow-lawyers to pre-

side over a Circuit Court in the absence sf the Circuit Court

Judge. He became an attorney for Charles T. Russell, the foun-

der of the Russcllites or Millennia1 Dawn People. In 1876, Rus-

sell 66discovered",although he never let anyone into the secret of

his "discovery", that Christ had returned to the earth invisibly,

in 1874. When Pastor Russell, whose wife had been granted a

divorce in 1897 for infidelity and cruelty, died in 1916, Judge-

"for four daysH-Rutherford succeeded him. He became head of

the International Bible Students' Association and of the Watch

Tower Bible and Tract Society.

In 1918 he was arrested and tried and convicted of wilfully

and illegally conspiring to produce ir~subordinationand disloy-

alty on the part of the armed forces of the United States. He

was sentenced to twenty years, but was released, after the war

was over, on May 16, 1919. Since then, his tirade against organ-

ized government in general, and against the government of the

United States in particular, has continued. TJnder the spell of

his long, intricate and hopelessly unintelligible sentences the fol-

lowers of Russell have become known as "Jehovah's Witnesses."

PROFITABLE ADDITION

In addition to his books, Judg~"forfour days9'-Ruther-

ford has written thirty-three sixty-four page pamphlets. Then

there is the scrni-monthly magazine called "The Watchtower"

and the bi-weeltly magazine called "Consolation". These works

of Judge-"for four days7'-Rutherford have appeared in eighty-

eight languages.

Add to these the 109 discs, whose duplicates carry the

"Judge's" chaotic thought processes and garbled scriptural in-

terpretations to those not fortunate enough to live close to the

society's headquarters.

.Add to these the fact that over one hundred and thirty-eight

radio stations carry the voice of Judge-'Tor four days9'-

Rutherford every week in the United States alone.

Add to these the fact that his army of Brooklyn workers, who

produce the paper, the covers, the ink, the paint, the paste, and who

print his vast array of publicity, receive only $10 a month.

Add to these the fact that millions of copies of his books

bring in 25 cents apiece; that millions of co,pies of his pam-

phlets bring in 5 cents apiece; that his own manufactured por-

table phonographs, together with three recordings by the

"Judge", bring in 10 dollars apiece; that the discs, duplicating

some "original" broadcast of the "Judge" sell for 70 cents apiece.

Add all these facts, which were gathered by the special fea-

ture writer of the 'New York Post, and you have a composite

picture of a monumental business and commercial and profitable

operation in the control of a man who rants against all commerce

as the operation of the devil. The poor people who are per-

suaded to part with their hard-earned money for the books and

COMMERCIAL BACKGROUND

The headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses is in Brooklyn,

New York. According to rccent articles ill the New York Post,

the property at 122-24 Colum1)ia Ilcights is assessed on the city

tax rolls at $425,000, while that at 117 Adalns Street is assessed

at $325,000. This is quite a sizable and valuable bit of real estate

to be owned by a group whose "judicial" leader denounces all

commerce as the operation of the devil.

i 1

pamphlets and magazines and phonograph records of Judge-

"for four daysv-Rutherford should know these facts. When

they give money for one of the "Judge's" magazines or books

or pamphlets or records, they are, in the "Judge's" opinion,

really playing into the hands of the devil, for, according to the

"Judge's" own statements, commerce, like government, is the

work of the devil.

The purpose of this pamphlet is to show that Judge-"for

four days'-Rutherford has no right to set himself up as a judge

in religious or scriptural matters. The purpose of this pamphlet

is to warn all real American citizens that the "Judge" is anti-

Protestant, anti-Catholic, anti-Jewish, anti-American, the enemy

of religion, the enemy of our country and the enemy of common sense.

prophecies in the Book of Revelations in order to apply them

to any event to which the "Judge" wishes them to apply.

RUTHERFORD VS. ISAIAH

Thus, the "Judge" states that the words of the prophet Isaiah,

eighth chapter, verses 12 and 13, refer to the League of Nations

that was founded at the end of the last World War. On page

253 of his book entitled "Salvation", the "Judge" states: "It was

fear that induced the rulers to form the League of Nations; and

hence they acted under the direction of Satan. God warned his

people to have nothing to do with such a confederacy of nations,

but that they should fear God; and his promise is that to tllesn

he will be a sanctuary (Isaiah 8 :12, 13)."

In this particular case, the "Judge" is guilty of an absolute

falsehood. It is false to declare, as the "Judge" does, that the

words of the twelfth and thirteenth verses of the eighth chap-

ter of the Book of Isaiah refer to the League of Nations estab-

lished at the close of the last World War.

Here are the exact words of the prophet Isaiah:

"Say ye not: A conspiracy. For all that this people speaketh, is a

conspiracy. Neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

"Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself: and let him be your few;

and let him be your dread.

"And he shaU be a sanctijicatiolz to you: but for a stolze of sturn-

bling avzd for a rock of offeme to the two houses of Israel, for o

snare as5d a rt4ilz to the iazhabitants of Jerusalem."

We ask the Witnesses themselves: where is there a men-

tion of the League of Nations in these words? By what right

did Judge-"for four days7'-Rutherford try to deceive people

into believing that in these verses of the Prophet Isaiah he had

explicit condemnation of the particular League of Nations estab-

lished at the close of the last World War?

The words of Isaiah refer to a "conspiracy". No mention is

made of a League of Nations. The prophet clearly states that

the conspiracy mentioned in these verses is one of words. "For

all that this people speaketh," says the prophet, "is a conspiracy."

The enemy of God, here mentioned by the prophet, is "the two

houses of Israel" and "the inhabitants of Jerusalem." By what

right does the "Judge" try to deceive people by quoting words

from the Prophet Isaiah which do not prove his point. If the

"Judge" wants to denounce the League of Nations, that is his

affair. But to declare, as he did declare, that God denounced

the modern League of Nations in the twelfth and thirteenth

verses sf the eighth chapter of the Eook of Isaiah, is a lie. Does

11.

HIS WRITINGS

There is only one class of people with whom the rantings of

the "Judge" have any influence. He depends for his success

upon the fact that many people no longer read the Bible. He

appeals, therefore, to those who love the Bible but who do not

read it. No Catholic, no Protestant, no Jew, indeed, no Ameri-

can, to whatever religion he may belong, who reads the Bible

can help but discover the ignorance, the delusion and the false-

hood of the "Judge's" so-called Biblical interpretations.

We appeal to the Jehovah Witnesses themselves to read the

Bible. We appeal to them to re-read the particular boolcs of

Rutherford which we shall use as evidence. If they do so,

calmly and honestly and sincerely, they will soon renounce the

fantastic, intellectual slavery in which Judge-"for four days9'-

Rutherford holds them.

We have the greatest sympathy for those who accept the

"Judge's" Biblical interpretations as infallible, simply because

the "Judge" says so. We believe that they have accepted the

"Judge?s"interpretations without reading the Bible and without

demanding any proof. By indulging in constant quotations

from the Bible the "Judge" palms himself off as an educated and

learned man. That impression will disappear by reading the

Bible and by analyzing the "Judge's" use of the Bible.

It is significant that the vast majority of the "Judge's" Bible

quotations are from the Old Testament and from the Book of

the Apocalypse (otherwise known as the Book of Revelations)

in the New Testament. The "Judge" practically ignores the

four Gospels. He twists the Old Testament accounts and the

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